With its Horn of Africa cooperation programme, Switzerland is focusing on good governance, food security, health, migration and the protection of vulnerable communities. Geographically, the regional programme focuses on the Somali context. It covers the semi-arid areas of Ethiopia and Kenya that border Somalia. Emergency aid is provided throughout the region as needed.
Horn of Africa (Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya)
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Embassy |
|---|---|
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Mission / Delegation / Permanent Representation |
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Consulate general |
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Honorary representation |
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Cooperation office |
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Contribution Office |
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Embassy with Cooperation Office |
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Embassy with Regional consular center |
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Swiss Business Hub |
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Swissnex |
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City |
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Capital |
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Disputed border |
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River |
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Lake |
The Horn of Africa is one of the world's most conflict-prone and fragile regions. The region's countries are the countries of origin and host countries for a great number of refugees and internally displaced persons. Factors driving fragility include protracted conflict and violent extremism, weak governance, and poor quality of public services. This is compounded by the increasingly hard-hitting impacts of climate change. At the same time, the Horn of Africa harbours the potential to drive positive developments in the region, including the spread of mobile telecommunications, rapid digital innovation and an agile global diaspora. A generation of young and connected citizens are working more and more closely to create better prospects for the region.
The SDC's Horn of Africa cooperation programme builds on the results that have been achieved in the region and emphasises Switzerland's engagement in fragile contexts. Swiss support covers areas such as the delivery of services and the restoration of trust in state institutions. Switzerland is also tackling the long-term causes of the conflicts and poverty that exacerbate the fragile situation in the Horn of Africa. As part of its cooperation work, Switzerland also supports the efforts of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) as the only regional organisation in the Horn of Africa.
Swiss Bilateral ODA |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 * |
|---|---|---|---|
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) |
|
|
|
Bilateral development cooperation |
31.28 |
29.95 |
27.50 |
Humanitarian aid |
23.46 |
21.69 |
20.21 |
State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) |
|
|
|
Economic Cooperation and Development |
- |
0.34 |
0.27 |
Peace and Human Rights Division (PHRD) |
|
|
|
Conflict transformation and human rights |
1.05 |
1.02 |
1.07 |
Total SDC/SECO/PHRD |
55.79 |
53.00 |
49.05 |
Other Federal Offices |
|
|
|
Other FDFA Divisions (ASAF, AIO, aso) |
- |
- |
.. |
Network of FDFA representations abroad |
4.11 |
4.98 |
.. |
State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) |
0.95 |
0.04 |
.. |
State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) |
0.15 |
0.09 |
.. |
MeteoSwiss |
- |
- |
- |
Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) |
- |
- |
- |
Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) |
- |
- |
.. |
Federal Statistical Office (FSO) |
- |
- |
- |
Total other Federal Offices |
5.21 |
5.11 |
- |
Cantons and municipalities |
1.72 |
.. |
.. |
Total |
62.72 |
58.11 |
49.05 |
* planned; total based on available data
.. = figures not available | – = nil or amount < 5'000 CHF
Good governance
Strengthening people's trust in state institutions
Together with the Somali authorities and its multilateral partners, Switzerland supports the efforts of the Somali state, its federal entities and its administrative districts in establishing functioning state structures. It promotes the delivery of public services (water, health, markets, roads and education) at local and district levels thereby furthering citizens' trust in their local state institutions. Local development funds run by communities are considered a successful model for fiscal decentralisation.
Food security
Strengthening the resilience of people living in arid areas
The people in the region's arid areas subsist on agriculture and livestock rearing. They are regularly hit by drought and famine, which also affects their livestock. Switzerland sees its most important contribution to food security in its work to help build up the resilience of pastoral and agro-pastoral communities with the aim of creating more secure livelihoods on the one hand, while at the same time helping to meet people's basic needs in emergency situations. To this end, Switzerland's work also helps boost livestock productivity and agricultural yields by introducing climate-friendly practices.
Health
Promoting access to primary healthcare
Switzerland assists efforts to establish sustainable healthcare systems serving vulnerable communities in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya by improving the access of pastoral and agro-pastoral communities to human and veterinary healthcare. Beyond this, Switzerland promotes the delivery of healthcare services, focusing in particular on improving maternal and child health. Switzerland is also committed to protecting the victims of gender-based violence.
Migration
Better protecting displaced persons and drawing on development potential
A significant number of migrants transit the Horn of Africa every year. These vulnerable people need special protection. They are refugees, internally displaced persons, asylum seekers, victims of human trafficking and people in search of a better future for themselves and their families. This Swiss cooperation programme comprises efforts to protect these migrants and their host communities and meet their special needs. This Swiss support comes through capacity development, awareness-raising, training of government officials, improved infrastructure and emergency assistance. The long-term goal is to empower displaced people to become self-sufficient. In order to open up longer-term prospects for refugees and internally displaced persons, Switzerland is supporting the authorities in the Horn of Africa in the search for sustainable solutions for displaced persons.
Approach and partners
Switzerland takes gender-mainstreaming measures in accordance with its gender policy and promotes gender equality. It also advocates for systematic accountability in the allocation of public funds. Furthermore, Switzerland takes a holistic approach by combining humanitarian aid, development cooperation, political and diplomatic measures as well as migration and security instruments. It works using a number of modalities and with various partners:
- Swiss NGOs and institutions
- Ministries, provincial, district and local administrations, IGAD (regional and national instruments such as local development funds)
- International and local NGOs and organisations
- Multilateral partners: ICRC, WFP, UNHCR, OCHA, FAO, UNDP, WHO. Switzerland supports these partners with financial contributions or experts from the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit.
- Local private sector
- Other donor countries
Links
Embassy of Switzerland in Kenya
Embassy of Switzerland in Ethiopia
Poverty reduction through conflict and disaster prevention
Health – A prerequisite for development
Gender and women's rights in conflict situations and fragile contexts
Bilateral relations Switzerland–Somalia
Bilateral relations Switzerland–Kenya
Bilateral relations Switzerland–Ethiopia
Documents
Current projects
Selection
Strengthening Drought Resilience in Pastoral and Agro-pastoral Areas of Somali National Regional State, Ethiopia (SDR - SNRS)
01.01.2020
- 31.12.2022
Pastoral and agro-pastoral livelihoods in Ethiopia's Somali National Regional State (SNRS) are increasingly threatened by environmental (climatic) changes and land degradation. GIZ along with Local Government partners aims at building the resilience of vulnerable pastoralist communities through proven land rehabilitation measures, the promotion of livelihood activities and capacity development of government and private sector institutions.
Allocation of SDC Funding to ICRC Operations in 2020
01.01.2020
- 31.12.2020
SDC funding to ICRC
operations allows the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to
respond proactively and to provide immediate protection and assistance for people
affected by armed conflict and other situations of violence. In line with the
Good Humanitarian Donorship (GHD) principles, Switzerland recognizes the
necessity of predictable and flexible funding to respond to changing needs in
humanitarian crises.
Allocation of SDC Funding to ICRC Operations in 2020
01.01.2020
- 31.12.2020
SDC funding to ICRC
operations allows the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to
respond proactively and to provide immediate protection and assistance for people
affected by armed conflict and other situations of violence. In line with the
Good Humanitarian Donorship (GHD) principles, Switzerland recognizes the
necessity of predictable and flexible funding to respond to changing needs in
humanitarian crises.
Conserving Forests through sustainable forest-based Enterprise Support in Tanzania
01.12.2019
- 30.11.2022
Dynamic electronic decision trees for managing childhood illness (DYNAMIC)
15.11.2019
- 31.12.2023
Every year, more than five million children die before the age of five due to preventable or treatable causes, most of them in developing countries. New technologies combined with rapid tests can improve diagnosis and management of sick children and reduce health costs. This collaborative research project makes use of Switzerland’s knowledge in digital technologies to improve the health of children and reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions in low resource settings.
Health Promotion and System Strengthening
01.11.2019
- 31.10.2023
The Health Promotion and System Strengthening Project is a SDC flagship project in Tanzania. In this third and exit phase, the project will strengthen the efficiency of national institutions to scale up policy reform processes that have been introduced based on the successful health innovations financed by SDC. The institutional capacity of 187 district councils will be enhanced to improve access to social protection, medicines supply, medical equipment maintenance and health promotion through technical assistance, digitalized solutions and researches for policy dialogue.
Somalia - UN Joint Programme Saameynta: Scaling-up Solutions to Displacement (UNJPS)
01.11.2019
- 30.06.2025
Displacement contributes to Somalia’s rapid and unplanned urbanization. 2.6 million people are displaced with little prospects for durable solutions. Switzerland, in a whole of government approach and through a UN Joint Programme Saameynta (UNJPS) will contribute to durable solutions for displacement-affected communities by improving their protection environment, socio-economic inclusiveness, self-reliance and fit-for-purpose land governance, thus leading to sustainable (re)integration.
South Sudan, Caritas Switzerland: Restoration of resilience in livelihoods for rural and semi-urban communities in Torit State
01.10.2019
- 31.03.2023
This project is designed to increase the resilience of women, men and children in Torit State in South Sudan. This will be achieved through improving agricultural production and access to value chains for farmers and small scale businesses. In order to improve productivity and reduce water-related diseases, the project will improve access to water. This will ultimately reduce vulnerability to the threat of food & nutrition insecurity, and bring the target population to engage in increased productivity with financial benefit.
Horn of Africa: Framework for Risk Governance and Adaptive Programming (FRAP)
15.09.2019
- 31.12.2024
The Horn of Africa is a hyper-fragile context with high security and fiduciary risks. This framework strengthens Switzerland’s fitness to operate remotely in hard-to-access contexts through a innovative monitoring and accountability tool. It supports capacity strengthening of local partners. The framework enables adaptive programming and effectiveness of the portfolio. It strengthens Somalia’s statistical system to improve data gathering and to monitor the implementation of the Agenda 2030.
Kenya: Promoting Life Skills and Livelihoods in Kakuma Refugee Camp
01.09.2019
- 31.08.2022
The Horn of Africa is marked by large numbers of displaced people[1] of whom almost 189’000 are living in Kakuma, Northern Kenya. The project Promoting Life Skills and Livelihoods contributes to enhanced capacities and economic opportunities, self-esteem, dignity and empowerment for refugees and host community through the provision of technical, life and basic skills training to youth. This provides them with improved opportunities for socio economic integration. [1] IDPs and refugees
Somalia: Strengthening State Institutions for better service delivery
01.09.2019
- 31.12.2022
Building state institutions and the capabilities of the Somali government to implement better services is of primary importance to realize the developmental objectives contained in the Somalia National Development Plan (NDP) and the Sustainable Development Goals. With the contribution to the World Bank Multi-Partner Fund (MPF) Switzerland will support the rebuilding of core state functions and the socio-economic recovery in Somalia.
IGAD Land Governance Programme
01.09.2019
- 31.08.2023
Land is a source for livelihoods and a valuable economic asset in the IGAD region. Drawing on experiences from other land related partnerships at national, regional and global levels, Switzerland supports the Intergovernmental Authority on Development IGAD to translate continental and global land governance frameworks and guidelines into practice in order to improve access to land and tenure security for all, especially for vulnerable groups like pastoralists, women and youth.
